Forsaken
by GeneralMischievous
Summary: While the heroes are evacuated from the exploding Starkiller Base, the severely wounded Kylo Ren is left behind. (Kylo whump, eventual Reylo, sneaky overtones of Huxlo because he does not get enough love)
1. Abandonment

_I used to go on this site a lot as an angst-riddled teen. Now, I return! as an angst-riddled adult with real jobs and responsibilities, yet still with a love of fictional tortured antiheroes. Goddammit._

 _Anyway, this is a story that has been knocking around in my head since I saw The Force Awakens for the second time. Warning: contains spoilers for TFA (obviously) and in all likelihood some detailed injury/gore because I am a terrible human._

 **Chapter 1 - Abandonment**

Kylo Ren lies in the snow staring up at the frosted pine branches and star-spattered darkness. The Sun is gone, used up by his own infernal machinations. His own body is exhausted too, both boiling up with internal heat and tinged with a coldness creeping along his extremities. His short huffed breaths mist and curdle in the chill air. That damn wookie's bowcaster shot has crumpled and melted his thin armour plates - the resulting congealed mess is restricting his lung capacity. It's probably more than that too, but despite the warmth he can feel trickling underneath his robes, Ren doesn't really want to find out. He knows he should move, stand up, warm up, get off this doomed disintegrating planet, if only to save his own sorry skin. He can't think beyond that; his thoughts are still chewing up the dreadful duel, the fierce eyes of the scavenger girl, the death - the murder - the execution of Han Solo.

What has he done?

 _The right thing_. He corrects himself fiercely. His teeth are beginning to chatter.

 _Get up you idiot._ He smacks himself once, hard, in the chest.Across the chasm ripped open by the death throes of the crippled planet, the thrumming sound of twin engines hums in the strangely quiet battlefield. Another damned rescue mission - _NO!_ that scavenger girl is going to slip away from him, again. The pang of rage morphs into sudden jealousy, which turns to a fearful loneliness.

 _Where is my rescue mission?_

He watches the lights of the Resistance ship and its exhaust plumes dwindle into the sky, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Ren can't quite yet muster the effort needed to stand. Blood slowly trickles down his mutilated face.

 _No one is coming for you, fool. They all hate you, they only obey you because they fear the Force._

A nearby groaning crack startles him, causes sweat to bead on his forehead in panic. The snow blanket he is lying on covers a thin skin of rock and metal, and the core of the planet is a hollow vacuum rapidly devouring its own flesh, and in a flurry of crumbling soil, the chasm yawns closer toward his boots. Ren does not need any further prompting. He staggers upright, wholly unprepared for the numbness of his limbs and the black cloud that hovers around his vision as he stands. The dent he has left in the snow, a wonky snow-Toydarian, is smeared with dark blood, but using the nearby tree trunks as both cover and as a crutch, he painfully makes it further away from the abyss and terror behind him. His leather gloves rasp against the rough bark and tree bristles as he lurches against them.

 _Come on Kylo._

He manages to make it away from the gorge, reeling and stumbling like he has been up all night drinking Mandallian Narcolethe. Which did occasionally happen - as the Leader of the Knights of Ren, he was accustomed to certain privileges, and the potent spirit had been surprisingly easy to come by on Starkiller Base. But like those horrible morning-after-the-night-befores, he is feeling distinctly confused, and more than a little nauseous. Every time he leans against a tree to rest, he feels the deep, earth-shattering tremors from the core of the planet reverberating up the wood. In the monochrome darkness, it is hard to make anything out, and he knows with a chilling certainty he is going in circles. Ren punches his side repeatedly in frustration. Blood spatters the snow.

 _Where the kriff did I leave my speeder?_

After a few more minutes of laboured breathing and unsteady limping, his injured leg suddenly gives way and he collapses. Kylo Ren howls into the snow, face down and furious with himself. The wound, inflicted by the incompetent lightsaber-wielding of that smug deserter FN-2187, is thankfully cauterized, but has sunk deep. He needs a medic badly; his strength won't last forever and Supreme Leader Snoke has not yet formally taught him the ways of force healing. He doubts he would be much good at it anyway, it requires a deep level of meditation which he rarely achieved at the best of times during training sessions.

He attempts it anyway, despite only having the vaguest idea of what he is trying to accomplish. After the destruction of the old Empire and the scattering of the remaining Jedi Order, literature on force techniques is few and far between, but nonetheless there are still a few precious pages that he has gathered from remote planets and fixed into his memory. He focuses on them now, bringing the ancient words to the front of his mind.

 _Let it not be said that the Leader of the Knights of Ren goes down without a fight._

With his eyes closed and teeth gritted together, he concentrates on his pain and rage, as Snoke has taught him. And for a few brief moments of bliss, he is able to stand, and walk again, and his bones stop burning, and he is able to scramble onto some higher ground through sheer force of will. This will buy him some time. But his momentary calm wobbles as his boot slips on the bare rock and all his sensory systems crash back into his body. Ren screams. It is worse than before. Damaged ribs and saber wounds sear his flesh. The black fudging the edges of his vision has become a thick fog, and he can barely see anything.

 _There's no sun, that's why I can't see. I'm fine, just tired, and it's dark._

He knows he is lying to himself, even as an apprentice, he knows that using the Force like this has dire consequences. His face is back in the snow, tangled black hair fanned out like a ragged halo, and the soft freezing ice soothes the burning slash across his face. Kylo Ren knows he needs to get off this world. He tries to muster up some of his old temper, an outburst of white hot rage might warm him up a little. He wants to hit himself to spark some energy. But he can't even find the energy to lift his head out of the snowdrift.

 _It's not so bad._ He is cold, cold, cold, and his strength is failing.


	2. Retrieval

_Thanks for all the favourites/follows and reviews! For some reason the site is not letting me reply to or even view them, so apologies for the radio silence. In answer to questions, yes, I will be continuing this story as long as I can, but no, I will not tell you what is going to happen to Kylo - because where would be the fun in that? Rest assured, all sorts of interesting things are going to happen to him, that's fo sho._

 **Chapter 2 - Retrieval**

General Hux strode briskly away from the communications chamber. He took good care not to appear to hurried and cause undue panic among the storm troopers he passed, however he estimated their chances of surviving this attack on the base as slim to none. He gave them withering glances anyway. Frightened, they hastened to get out of his way. Let them die blissfully believing everything was under control.

The general entered his private hangar, where his personal escape vehicle was waiting for him. A sleek modified shuttle, smaller and more discreet than Kylo Ren's imposing - and somewhat exhibitionist, he thought - Upsilon-class command shuttle. Its access hatch slid smoothly open and Hux climbed in.

"Sir!"

The pilot snapped smartly to attention.

"Where are we going, sir?"

Hux reached into the breast pocket of his severe grey overcoat and drew out a small hexagonal screen. He lazily tapped it a few times with a long gloved finger and then handed it to his pilot.

"Follow this signal. Get there as quickly as possible." The pilot duly hurried back to his controls and busied himself flicking switches.

The ginger man arranged his gangling limbs over an expensive chaise longue while the pilot ably took care of the shuttle's smooth lift off out of the hangar. Flying here and there around the galaxy after Kylo Ren was made just about bearable with the addition of small luxuries like this rare Ewok-fur sofa.

He stared out of the small porthole with a disinterested gaze as small fires and explosions erupted on the pockmarked surface of his life's work like pimples on a teenager. To anyone observing, the General was the perfect picture of calm - save for a slight clenching of the jaw and twitching vein at his pale temple. Ren had better have his damn show-off lightsaber with him; otherwise the whole placing a tracking device covertly inside the handle would really backfire. He would not be lead on another wild goose chase.

Luck however, having dealt a bitter blow earlier on, now appeared to be on his side.

"Sir, we are directly above the signal. My systems are detecting weak vital signs at sea level. However, I would advise that we do not land here as there are too many trees in this part of the base, and the ground looks highly unstable. Orders, sir?"

Hux hissed through his teeth. How he loathed being Kylo Ren's personal search and rescue team.

"Open the hatch then. Wait for my return as long as you can, but if we are in imminent danger, you will prioritise our escape from this system."

"Acknowledged, sir."

The general peered over the edge of the open hatch, a bitter wind whipping his red hair out of it's perfectly coiffed shape. He could see a dark figure outlined against the pure white snow down below, but worryingly face down and unmoving. Wasting no time, Hux clipped a line to his belt and leapt gracefully from the shuttle, his lithe form trailing black cord as he rappelled down the thick rope.

"Ren!" he called as he slowed and landed, boots crunching down in the snow. He hurried over to the prostrate form and gave him a quick kick in the ribs with one stylish black boot. Hux was rewarded with a groan, but the other man made no attempt to get up, so he looped his arms underneath the limp body and pulled him into a sitting position. This enabled him to attach the second line to Kylo's body by looping it around his waist belt.

Hux stood and pulled the sagging Kylo upright, and got a chance to look at him for the first time. He did not like what he saw. The bloody red slash across his face was new, and his brown eyes were unfocused and barely open at all. Ren was trying to push Hux away to stand by himself, and was mumbling something aggressively.

It sounded like "Oh no. Not you." It also sounded like it contained a considerable amount of slurred expletives.

 _Oh, sithspit. Just what I need - a dying Commander. I am having_ the _worst day._

"Hold on, _sir_." He pressed a small button on his belt where the rope attached to a mechanical pulley, and with a whirr the line retracted back up into the shuttle. The two were yanked into the air. Hux rolled his eyes as a strangled cry left Kylo Ren's bluish lips, and the young man went completely boneless. _Pathetic_.

They reached the ship's hold just in time as the ground beneath them started to crumble and shake, and as the door closed, the general gingerly lowered Kylo Ren onto the sumptuous carpeted floor of the shuttle. With some revulsion, he noted that there was warm blood on his fingers and his coat from where they had been pressed together on the way up.

He wiped his hands disgustedly on Kylo's jerkin.

"This had better not stain my _kriffing_ carpet, Ren."

Meanwhile, the shuttle had picked up speed and was swiftly heading into the outer atmosphere. The general fetched a small silver memory drive from a concealed compartment under the wooden panelling of the control desk and handed it to his pilot.

"Follow these co-ordinates. Don't ask any questions, and I won't be tempted to kill you for knowing too much."

The pilot nodded wordlessly. He knew the drill well from countless covert missions for the Dark Side. _Honestly, it was almost insulting - this was First Order 101 stuff!_

Hux returned to the body of the young apprentice, who still had not moved. His face was as pale as new fallen Hothian snow, vividly bisected by a ragged laceration. It cut across his long nose and down along one cheek almost to the chin, and had the tell-tale blistered edges of a lightsaber wound.

There was a full medpac on board, which Hux hadn't yet had the opportunity to experiment with. While his extensive training with the First Order told him he should probably treat the man's injuries before waking him up, Hux was feeling impatient and rather ticked off by the day's events. Plus, this was a chance to get one up on his supposedly powerful superior, and report back to Snoke as negatively as he could.

He retrieved the red box and set it on the floor. Somewhat gleefully, he took from it a basic stimpac containing a large percentage of epinephrine, and jammed the short needle into the side of Ren's bare neck. A soft hiss escaped the device as the pressure forced the bright green dosage out of the glass vial, and there was a brief moment of silence, save the quiet whine of the shuttle's engines. Hux tapped his fingers on his leg impatiently.

Then Kylo spasmed into consciousness, gasping air into his screaming lungs, eyes rolling in his skull. Muscles weak from cold and inactivity were shocked into life by the flood of hormones, causing his limbs to shake violently. Almost immediately, his left hand went to clutch his injured side and he arched his back, moaning through gritted teeth.

"Kylo Ren!" said Hux in a commanding voice, his forceful tone cutting through. "Listen to me - I need your report as a matter of urgency. Pay attention. What has occurred since we last met at the control hub on Starkiller Base? What can I tell Supreme Leader Snoke of our mission? How did the Resistance manage to sabotage the Base?"

The young man's eyes stopped rolling and it seemed with some effort that he focused on Hux kneeling beside him. His brows knit in a mix of confusion and pain, but mostly anger. The latter seemed to be regarding Hux having the audacity to have rescued and woken him up from his comatose state.

"You…I - I - I was - I was at - I… Couldn't… I - I … Girl… Jedi… " Despite the necessity of his report, Kylo could barely get the words out due to his traitorous shuddering wreck of a body. His shallow gasps coupled with the effort of trying to form coherent sentences were slowly turning his face blue with oxygen deprivation. The commander smirked, but decided to take pity on him. Snoke would not appreciate being deprived of vital information, but then again, Snoke would not be best pleased if his star pupil kicked the bucket either.

"Oh, stop your silly stuttering. It's suddenly occurred to me that I'm going to have to treat your injuries before anything else. Here, help me take off your ridiculous armour. This is precisely why _we_ wear regulation uniforms, moron."

Kylo nodded tersely, and began to fumble with the hidden fastenings that kept his close-fitting outfit together, stiff and trembling fingers barely staying still long enough to undo a single clasp. Together, the two of them managed to remove his thick armoured belt, and the black jerkin and undershirt he wore underneath.

With Kylo bare-chested and bloody, Hux finally comprehended the state of his superior's injuries. _Holy sith._

Without another word or sarcastic comment, he rifled through the medpac until he found what he was looking for: Bacta patches. A drukload of Bacta patches.

Hurriedly, he unsealed them from their gelatinous protective coatings and plastered them over every wound that he could see. He saved the largest ones for last, horrified by the deep and mutilated injury that was clearly causing Kylo agony. Was that a rib he could see? He'd tied the rope around his waist on the way off the planet, which when bearing both of their entire suspended weights could not have helped matters. Hux's hands wavered in uncertainty.

"Get… on with it… G…Gen… - Hux." Kylo growled through gritted teeth. He was twitching less, but with an open untreated injury - from some kind of primitive blaster? - he was going to bleed out on Hux's fancy deep pile carpet.

Without further hesitation, the bacta patches were smoothed on, their adhesive gel sucking and bubbling as they shrank to become healing surface clots. Hux wasn't sure how much they would do for the more grievous wounds, but it was better than nothing.

"There we are. All finished. Can you stand?"

After several moments, the leader of the Knights of Ren flushed slightly. Against the whiteness of his skin, the colour was startling. It made him look much younger.

"No." He whispered, humiliated beyond words.

Hux sighed. "Come on then." With a strength that his slight frame belied, the General lifted his commander and gently carried him to the simple wooden pallet at the back of the shuttle. By the time Hux lay Kylo Ren down onto the soft mattress, he had already passed out again. Even a large dose of adrenaline couldn't hold back the stubborn tide of exhaustion forever.

Though Hux resented Ren for the attention lavished upon him by Snoke, and by his own private admission was secretly incredibly jealous of his Force powers, he did not actively wish him harm. Most of the time. In fact, in the cut-throat world of the First Order, the young leader of the Knights of Ren was the closest person he had to a friend, albeit a friend who occasionally tried to kill him with magical space powers when his temper boiled over.

To lose your life's work to your most hated enemy was one thing. To lose your friend in the same day, was a further catastrophe that Hux would really rather didn't happen. Besides, if Kylo Ren died on his watch, there would be hell to pay.

As the shuttle moved on along its secret path through the stars, Hux paced his gilded ship.


	3. Star Trek

_The following chapter is a bit of a light intermission. I am going somewhere with this and lots of exciting things will occur in the subsequent chapters, but in my head Hux is a terrible travelling companion and I needed to write it. On another note, my reviews are finally working again, and they are beautiful, and you are all beautiful, and I hope you all stick around for more words that i done wrote._

 **Chapter 3 - Star Trek**

A day later, Hux was thoroughly bored of intergalactic travel.

Last month, he had installed a beautiful soapstone hologame table on board, which had been 'acquired' on one of the rebel bases raided by the First Order. He now realised that with no other passengers and the pilot preoccupied with flying the shuttle, he had no one to play Dejarik against but the holographic computer - and he always lost against the computer because he couldn't intimidate it or bluff his way to domination.

The pilot had informed him that the journey to the secret star system would take three more days at the very least - clouds of interstellar gas and debris dependent.

 _Of course, Snoke picks the most backwater planet to build his secret lair on._

Conversations with said pilot have been rather limited, to say the least. The storm trooper was dedicated to his button pushing and dial-adjusting, and seemed perfectly content to answer all of Hux's questions with monosyllabic answers.

 _Yes, sir. No, sir. Three days' time, sir._

If he hadn't been so sure the man was terrified of arousing the wrath of his superior, he'd have been tempted to say that the man was being purposefully disrespectful.

Consequently, most of the journey had been spent pacing around planning ever more elaborate stratagems to win Snoke's favour, and reclining upon the furry chaise longue scheming in a horizontal position instead.

As much as he hated himself for it, he had also been devoting time to worrying about Kylo Ren, who hadn't woken yet. In his boredom, Hux several times contemplated injecting more stimulants into the poor guy's neck, just to see what would happen.

 _Curiosity killed the reekcat, but satisfaction brought it back._

But each time he stalked over to the bed with gaze hungrily fixated on the medpac lying on the shelf above, he would stop and stare intently at the young man's pale, mutilated face; so peaceful in repose; so devoid of most of its normal grimaces and black fury. A unhealthy looking sheen coated Ren's skin, and his eyes darted like small, frightened animals beneath darkly lashed lids. He reasoned that leaving him to sleep a little longer would benefit both of them, as he would have better arguments with an alert Kylo Ren than a tired and pissed off Kylo Ren.

Nonetheless, dark circles still ringed his eyes, and every so often he writhed and moaned, never waking fully - symptomatic of the inner turmoil that lay so close to consciousness. Sitting nearby like a hawk, Hux had spied a rare opportunity to glean what his usually reticent superior was thinking about. Whatever it was, involved frequent delirious mumbling of the words "Han", "Girl" and "Traitor!", and he already knew enough about _those_ to write a thousand angst-filled entries into Ren's secret diary.

Much more distracting were the random objects in the shuttle which had taken to floating around. He and the pilot had triple-checked the gravity generators, which were fully operational, so it wasn't that. Most of these levitating items were localised around Kylo's bed, and Hux soon discovered that they whirled around erratically during nightmares, propelled by his unconscious Force use. Observing this, Hux thought it best to keep his distance in future.

So Hux had taken to wearing his regulation helmet and noise-cancelling bionic cochlear implants during the rest of these fits, and pointedly clearing his throat. It didn't make any difference, but at least it made him feel slightly better. He could only dream of the kind of power that Ren wielded even while comatose.

During the last of a succession of nightmares, Kylo thrashed his limbs so violently that he toppled from the bed with a thud. Abruptly, Hux and the pilot were no longer the only conscious beings on the shuttle.

* * *

Panting, Kylo Ren sat up, sweaty sheets tangled around his legs. His father's hands ghosted off his face, and the staring face of the female Jedi receded back into nothing. He gingerly touched a hand to his side. It still hurt terribly, but it was slightly more bearable with the bacta patches holding it together.

"Finally, the princess awakens." Hux sneered, looming over him.

"What… How long have I been out?" he said stupidly, carding a hand through his tangled dark hair. He remembered being dragged out of the snow on Starkiller Base, and then suddenly waking up on the floor of the shuttle, but not much after that.

"Almost two days. I would have been worried, but then again, you're Snoke's brilliant magic boy." With his neat designer uniform and perfectly combed hair parting, Hux was the antithesis of Kylo's own messy, dishevelled nudity. He self-consciously drew the sheets over himself, noting that his leg injury had also been neatly patched up. Hux saw this and smirked.

"What course is this ship on?"

"A direct route to Snoke's base. I believe you're familiar with it?"

The colour drained from Kylo's face.

"Ah, I see you are. Well, we'd better not disappoint Supreme Leader Snoke - I'll have your mission report now Ren."

He sighed wearily, "Very well, but I won't do it sitting on the floor. Help me up first."

Looking up at the ceiling haughtily, Hux proffered his arm, which Kylo used to haul himself upright.

"Feeling better, oh Chosen One?" The General mocked.

Ren swayed on his feet, wobbly, and aching, but upright. For now.

"Eat Rancor shit, Hux." His limbs tingled with the warmth of nascent rage. God, it felt good to get angry.

Hux drily harrumphed, "Your report, _sir?_ "

Kylo had been stalling for time, but now faced with the uncompromising sternness of that familiar scornful face; he obliged Hux with the details of his misadventures. He briefly skimmed over his executions of the deserter FN-2187, and Han Solo, and moved swiftly on to the duel with the force-sensitive female, and how he'd come to be dying in the snow.

Hux cocked an arched ginger eyebrow, and tapped a few notes on his holopad. "So, you expect me to believe you killed your father, just like that?" He snapped his fingers laconically. "Dearest daddy, I love you so much but Supreme Leader Snoke wants me to kill you. I love killing people but I love you too - I'm so tortured!"

The Force rose up in him like bile, and Kylo Ren slammed his General against the wall with an invisible fury, hand clawed and tightening slowly. Hux yelped in surprise, struggling in mid-air.

"You. Will. Remember. Who. You're. Speaking. To… General." he hissed, through gritted teeth. Using the Force like this so soon after his injuries was not a good idea, and already his arm was shaking with weakness. But his anger was just enough to power this brief act. Kylo released his Force grip on the General's neck, and the tall man collapsed wheezing onto the carpet.

He sank down heavily onto the bed. His side flared in protest, and he bared his teeth.

"We've got at least another day of this, sir. I suggest we stay out of each other's way. No need to thank me for saving your life." rasped Hux.

"No need to thank me for sparing yours."

The pilot glanced into the shuttle's mirror, swallowed, and continued to keep his head down.


	4. Punishment

_Hi all, sorry for the gap between chapters, I was attending my great-grandmamas 100th birthday weekend. Safe to say, it was a bit of a mad one (picture a cantina band complete with cake, fighting, gambling and drinking - a typical British party). Anyway, back to the main story, hope you like where this is going! As always, I really do appreciate your reviews, dear reader!_

 **Chapter 4 - Punishment**

The rest of the journey was tense, to say the least. The General sat upright, coiled and venomous, waiting to strike. The Apprentice on the other hand slept fitfully, apparently haunted by more bad dreams. But he couldn't relax. Hux clutched Ren's lightsaber where it lay nestled safely inside the soft felt pocket of his coat. Asleep or awake, Kylo was always in some kind of dangerous mood, and he reasoned that if he could use the Force to levitate heavy objects while unconscious, he could definitely operate the light weapon. And on such a small ship, one of his legendary fits of destructive rage could prove a disaster - whether conscious or not.

So when the shuttle finally arrived on the small grey planet, Hux could not disembark fast enough, and almost jogged down the short landing ramp to where two attendants stood awaiting his orders. Following him out a short distance behind emerged a tired looking Ren, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. He limped a little, clearly favouring the leg unmarked by the lightsaber wound, but thankfully, he was dressed and somewhat presentable. Hux made short work of shouting commands, ensuring the safe docking of his expensively furnished spacecraft.

"Careful, you idiots!" he spat - the mechanics had almost allowed his precious ship to collide with a gaggle of repair droids that were crossing the hangar.

While he was occupied with berating the officers in charge, another small group of elite storm troopers emerged from the bowels of the base. They moved with purpose towards the ship, paying little attention to the hustle and bustle of the busy port. By the time Hux had everything in order and was satisfied with the parking of his ship, he turned to see Ren already being frogmarched out of the hangar.

A frown creased his face and he pursed his thin lips.

 _Odd_.

Adopting his customary menacing stride with clasped hands behind his back, to dissuade any curious onlookers, Hux discreetly went after them on the pretence of inspecting the base. Presumably Snoke had been notified of their arrival and had sent for his apprentice, but this definitely wasn't standard greeting protocol. It almost seemed like a hostile arrest. He had to find out what was going on.

The General followed the small platoon down a series of winding tunnels, keeping out of sight. Not that storm troopers ever really turned around. He made a mental note to add a new lesson on observation skills to the training regime of new recruits.

He wondered why Ren was letting this happen. Usually he reacted with barely concealed fury at the slightest provocation or questioning of his authority. Now, he was being led like a bantha to the slaughter by a bunch of his own underlings, his head drooping. As they marched further from the hangar entrance, the walls of the tunnels morphed from steel panelling to a rough rock face, and the floor sloped ever downwards. Usually, Hux went straight to the command hub or private barracks when on a mission - he had never gone this deep into the planet before.

The white-helmeted soldiers halted before an imposing metal door set back into the rock. One of them spoke briefly into his communicator, and with a grinding sound, the double doors slid open. One of them roughly shoved Kylo Ren to the front, and pushed him through. The doors clicked shut behind him.

 _Sithspit_.

His curiosity thoroughly piqued, Hux backtracked, retracing his footsteps until he found himself on a slightly higher level. He swiped his access card on the nearest door pad, and to his relief it opened for him. He navigated several winding corridors until he found one that he estimated to be roughly above the floor below. Hux ducked into what appeared to be a storage room full of old electrical equipment and partly constructed droids, and found what he was looking for. A grille, set into the floor, designed to circulate air into the stuffy rooms deep underground.

Grimacing at his crisp uniform touching the dusty floor, he knelt down next to the panel, and peered through. It was his lucky day! Hux could see the black-clothed figure of Kylo Ren kneeling in supplication at the feet of Snoke. The Supreme Leader was rumbling something, Hux couldn't make the words out, but it radiated cold malice. He shuddered. Rather Ren than him.

Although it _was_ rather fun to watch his rival being punished like a naughty youngling. It almost made up for the ungrateful little swine trying to murder him so many times during his long-suffering rescue mission.

He watched as Snoke shot out a large clawed hand and gripped Kylo around the neck, and with his other, pressed it against the young man's forehead. Writhing, his apprentice appeared to be trying to resist, but without success.

Hux winced as muffled screams began to filter up through the air vent.

Enough was enough. Satisfied, he stood and stretched, brushing the powdery sand from his dark trousers. He'd wasted enough time already - Captain Phasma would be wondering where he was.

* * *

As soon as they landed on Snoke's bitter little rock, Kylo could feel the waves of his mentor's wrath rippling through the Force. He wondered how the thousands of storm troopers could possibly stand it. Although there was something a little more subdued than usual about their movements, like tiny ants dimly aware that a boot was coming, and vainly working harder to accomplish their meaningless tasks.

Ren had barely stepped out of the ship before he was seized by a small group of elite troopers. Normally he would have simply blasted them out of his way, but he wanted to conserve his energy for the confrontation with Snoke he knew was coming. He allowed them to march him through dark tunnels, growling a little when one had the temerity to prod him in the back with a blaster - "Know your place, worm!", but his heart wasn't really in it. As he approached the intimidating metal blast doors, a wash of sudden fear flooded through him. His blood pounded in his ears and he dug his heels in a little. All too soon, the doors rasped open, and he was pushed through.

"Ah, Kylo Ren. I was beginning to wonder where you were."

If the sight of the doors had been enough to make him deathly afraid, it was nothing compared to sound of the dispassionate baritone which made his very soul shrivel into a tiny, fearful little knot.

"Master. Forgive me. We were delayed." He said, falling to his knees in front of his looming master.

"Of course you were. Starkiller Base was destroyed utterly, and millions of your followers are dead. But, I trust you have good news that outweighs this?"

Snoke was toying with him, like a Loth-cat toys with a Loth-rat. They have their way with the helpless creature until it is frantic, and then break its tiny spine in half. But they like to prolong the fun as long as they can - a dead Lot-rat is a dull Loth-rat.

 _Watch me squeal, Snoke._

He stood, and said in a stronger voice, "I killed the rebel scum, Han Solo, and the deserter FN-2817 too, Supreme Leader." He bowed his head, dark hair concealing the nervousness in his brown eyes. "I also duelled with the female from Jakku, and almost bested her. She is strong with the Force, and managed to resist me, this time."

"She resisted you! An untrained, untested scavenger girl from a dusty, insignificant, junk planet?" Snoke's ridged grey mouth twisted into an ugly sneer.

"Untrained, yes. But incredibly gifted - such raw power! And very angry. She has a touch of the Darkness about her, my Lord. We could still make use of her." He pleaded, lifting his eyes to scan Snoke's face for any hint of forgiveness.

"Perhaps…" The tall, gaunt alien paced towards Ren, his ragged robes swishing against the dusty floor. "Or perhaps you are falling back into the Light, my apprentice. You are only young, after all. Yes! I see it. You are soft on the girl. Your weakness betrays you."

Kylo cringed in revulsion. "No, master! I have nothing but contempt for the girl. I was only thinking of the First Order, and the future victories she might bring us."

"LIES!"

With a snarl, Snoke lunged forward and seized him by the neck. Kylo simultaneously felt a spike of intense thought assault the walls around his mind. He weakly threw up a few barriers around his innermost thoughts, but he couldn't fight the brutal onslaught of the Force-assisted psychic attack for long. Snoke's mind uncoiled inside his own, like the thorny tentacles of a predatory Sarlaac.

Immediately, his master seized upon his most recent memories, and began rifling through them. Flashes of the duel with the girl from Jakku, the exploding planet, his dying father stroking his face, the limp girl in his arms as he fought his way off Takodana, the nightmares, the nightmares, the nightmares, flickering before his eyes.

Snoke is deeper in his mind than he has ever gone before in his years of training, obviously a punishment for his transgressions. Memories aren't designed to be read by uninvited recipients, and Snoke had to use more force to claw his way in. Kylo dimly realised he was screaming.

 _Let us put a stop to this girl nonsense. Time to focus on your mission._

He couldn't tell whether it was him or Snoke speaking, but he could feel his master doing… Something… to his memories. It burned. He was altering them somehow, and, oh, gods, it felt like his brain was on fire. Then, finally, Snoke slithered back out of Kylo's violated mind, satisfaction radiating from their psychic link before it broke. As it snapped, he fell to the ground, untethered, severed from his master's poisonous umbilical.

"We will finish this tomorrow, Ren. Now get out of my sight."

Crawling, stumbling, limping, he hurried from the room, the booming voice echoing in his ears. Once in the bright, clinical safety of the corridor, Kylo collapsed again. He vomited, leaning against the rough stone wall, trembling, sweating. Tried to calm himself. Threw up again. Stumbled back out along the undulating corridors, the long wobbling rooms, falling against the walls, until he reached his private chambers. Ren slammed the doors closed after him, and slid down the wall until he slumped in a gangling huddle at the foot. He tried to enter a meditative state to relieve his agitation and mental pain, but couldn't pull his bruised thoughts together for long enough. He blacked out completely.


	5. Aladdin Sane

_I meant to finish this chapter yesterday, but the death of the greatest musician in the world completely floored me. My housemates and whole family are in mourning. I was only listening to Blackstar on Sunday, but by Monday afternoon we were sat around our record player listening to Low and watching the tributes pour in. What an icon, a genius, a musical god. He appeared in so many bizarre sci-fi films himself, I'm sure he must have been a fellow fan of Star Wars too._

 _Anyway, hope you aren't feeling as terrible. Godspeed, Starman._

 **Chapter 4 - Aladdin Sane**

Hux hadn't seen Kylo Ren for weeks.

Not that this particularly bothered him, as there was a lot to do following the destruction of Starkiller Base; one of the First Order's key assets. In life, it had demanded a vast amount of organisation, spreadsheets and timetabling; and in death, the mountain of paperwork was no different. His days on the planet were largely spent tied up in interminable meetings with the various captains and lieutenants who frequented the base to pick up news, missions and essential weapons shipments. They also seemed to love needling him about the critical failures of the super weapon's temperature regulation systems, and their inability to withstand infiltration by a single X-wing.

Hux usually replied something along the lines of "If you can design a giant weapon that harnesses the energy of the sun, yet can be fully functional with just a single central room of thermal oscillators to contain billions of kilotonnes of superheated dark energy, please, do let me know."

Luckily, he was frequently accompanied with the tall, grim figure of Captain Phasma, who as an equal ranking officer seemed to inspire a different kind of obedience in the other captains - that of respect, rather than fear of discipline.

Every so often, their Supreme Leader also graced these assemblies, with his ominous presence seated at the head of the long wooden tables. Hux looked forward to these ones immensely, as meetings tended to be a lot more efficient when the facilitator could literally massacre any dissenting opinions.

However, Snoke, though he possessed a wide streak of animalistic cruelty, seemed to remain calm and aloof most of the time. While he threatened his subordinates frequently in his low, menacing tone, it was rare that he actually followed through. Hux supposed that in his ruthless way, Snoke was actually a very efficient leader.

Unlike his apprentice Kylo Ren, whose patience at these sorts of occasions seemed to run wire-thin, and usually ended with a murder or two. Hux couldn't lie to himself; he was starting to miss the presence of his violent young accomplice.

This was why, when he spied the raven-haired man slipping quietly out of the officers mess hall one evening, Hux decided to follow him. He cornered Ren outside his quarters.

"Been avoiding me, hmm?" He drawled, leaning against the door in an indolent fashion.

Ren grunted. "Out of my way, Hux."

"Not until we've had a little catch up. You've been avoiding my meetings - I'm hurt!" He put on a mock-sad face, his bottom lip sticking out.

"I have been training intensively with Leader Snoke - that is my priority now. It should be yours too - without me, there will be no one to hold off the Force-sensitive among the resistance fighters. Now, if you don't mind, I'm tired." Ren returned, in an emotionless voice.

Hux gave him the once-over, and reluctantly stepped aside to allow Kylo Ren entry to his chambers. He did look tired. He seemed drained, and had definitely lost weight.

Against his better nature, Hux slipped through the chamber doors before they slid closed. It was dimly lit inside, but he could just make out gouges and burn marks on the walls. He heard noises from further in and moved quietly closer. The scorch marks were everywhere, haphazard and deep, and there didn't seem to be a stick of furniture that was intact. Hux had difficulty believing that a person could live like this.

He walked into the living quarters to discover Kylo Ren sitting on a bed with his back to him, shirtless, picking at his old bowcaster injury. Countless other wounds oozed, partially covered by medical patches or stitched up poorly, and around it all, blackened bruises faded and roiled like dark storm clouds across his pale skin.

"Fuck, Ren."

He turned sharply, staring furiously at the redhead with hollow eyes.

"What are you doing in here Hux? Get out!"

Several ornaments in the room wobbled briefly. Hux felt a jolt of fear down his spine, but stayed put.

"Whatever you're doing with Snoke, it doesn't seem to be agreeing with you." He said matter-of-factly, examining the short nails on his left hand. "Do you want me to fetch you a medical droid? I hear they've got the new 9-1B's down in the healing bay. Top of the line, patch you up in no time, so I hear."

"I'm fine, General. The pain gives me clarity. And clarity gives me the strength to keep training. That is the way of the dark side. This is how I will get stronger." Ren thumped the side of his chest several times, the bruising pattern suggesting this was a regular occurrence.

"You don't look stronger, Ren." Hux said delicately. "Excuse my forthrightness, but you look sick. Get down to the medbay, or take a break for once in your life."

Kylo Ren lay back on his bed, sighing briefly.

"I can't ' _take a break'_ , Hux. By now, the scavenger…girl will have found Luke Skywalker and will be completing her own training. The next time I see h - them, I will have to be more than ready. Snoke is only doing this for my own good."  
Hux noticed that every time he said the word "Girl" or "her", Ren winced. He decided to investigate a little further - his day had been pretty boring, after all. He sat down on a small stool that had somehow survived Kylo's lightsaber tantrums.

"What of the girl? Why is she so important to the rebellion? I heard she was just a scrap metal collector down on Jakku."

Ren was breathing hard through his nose. "I… do not want to speak of..her. She, is strong with the Force, even …untrained. Once Skywalker has taught - her - they will come for me together, I should expect. I have to beat h - h -h -her." He was stuttering and sweating, in some kind of weird mental anguish.

He probed again. "My spies tell me her name is Rey, and that she is an orphan. They suspect Jedi lineage however - no one is that powerful by chance alone."

A vein pulsed in the apprentice's forehead. "She…Rey?"

He gritted his teeth and moaned, _actually_ _moaned_.

Hux shifted a little, uncomfortable.

Ren noticed, and locked eyes with him. "I know you were there, Hux. I felt your presence, up there, in the rafters. I'm surprised Supreme Leader did not throw you out, but he probably wanted you to see what happens to people who disappoint him."

Hux was caught out - he didn't want to admit he'd been spying, but neither did he want to flat out lie. He settled for a curt nod.

"Then you saw what Snoke did. He was in my mind, taking things, reshuffling things. I'm not entirely sure which memories are my own any more. And he suspected some kind of romance - ROMANCE! - with that scavenger." Ren laughed bitterly. "So as punishment for losing the duel, he has forbidden me to think about - th-that. Every time I try, it's like a blaster going off in my head. Some psychological thing, linking memories of - her - to pain, and eventually to fear of the pain. The two core elements which fuel my power. I imagine after I have learned to associate the two, he will remove it. But for now, I am still learning."

There was a moment of silence while the two men digested this.

"That seems a little… extreme. I confess I do not understand the purpose of this but we must trust in our Supreme Leader's judgement. He is an excellent manipulator of behaviour."

Kylo made a face, and sat up suddenly.

"Hux, you know I despise you, but, I must tell you - I think I'm going mad."

Hux glanced at the ruined walls and smashed tables, and replied drily, "Oh, you don't say?"

Ren huffed a humourless laugh, his ribs moving beneath his battle scarred chest, which quickly turned to a yelp when one of his stitches suddenly popped out. He groaned, and lay back down on the bed.

"Call the kriffing droid on your way out. I'm too tired."

Hux tiptoed out as Kylo Ren drifted into sleep.


	6. Retaliation

**Chapter 6: Retaliation**

"Move your feet, boy!

Kylo stumbled back, parrying awkwardly. The flickering red sabers crackled uncomfortably close to his face. Snoke's own weapon was similarly blood red, but slender; more rapier-like, whereas Kylo's own was all brute force and showmanship.

With a twist, he freed himself from the lock and sidestepped his master, attempting to attack his exposed flank. Snoke immediately saw this, and retaliated with a swinging strike so rapid that Kylo had to dive to the ground, dishevelled hair slightly singed. Rolling, the apprentice stabbed at Snoke's legs, forcing his master to leap back, and giving him a little breathing space. They stood facing each other across the training room, both panting a little.

"Good, good. Remember your training - focus on your anger."

"I am angry, master!" Kylo Ren snarled at the older man, saber raised. At the last second, he feinted left, ducked around Snoke, and attempted to surprise him with a spinning strike from behind. Snoke easily perceived this attack, and Ren was almost bisected by the retaliating blow. He threw himself backwards onto the floor to escape the lightsaber, chest armour smoking.

"You're getting careless! You must learn to direct your anger correctly." Snoke tutted, twirling his blade dextrously. "Let's give you a new challenge - I am going to attempt to break into your mind while attacking you."

"No, master. Not again." Kylo groaned. His mind was still raw from yesterday's duel, and the day's before that as well.

"The Jedi will not hesitate to do this, and neither will I. Defend yourself!"

Snoke lowered his head and ran at Kylo, like a Bantha charging. Simultaneously, a barbed thought began to stab at his outer defences. He rapidly reinforced his mental barriers and adjusted his defensive stance; meeting his master's in a clash of red sparks. They duelled for several minutes, evenly matched and neither giving ground.

Then Snoke sent multiple thought weapons out, lashing out with both his lightsaber and his formidable mind. Kylo, faced with the surprise onslaught, chose to defend his physical body instead of his mind, and parried the powerful slash. As he adeptly flicked it away with his blade's crossguard, he felt Snoke slide into his memories and begin feeding, like a leech.

Now that his master had gained entry, there was little chance of ejecting him until he had finished, so Ren focused on trying to divert him. Quickly gathering the Force to himself, he used it to fling several daggers that had been lying on a table at Snoke's grizzled head, and increased the intensity of his sword strikes.

He felt his master's mind momentarily distracted and felt a wild elation, which was quickly extinguished when, with a flick of his wrist, Snoke sent three of the knives whistling back towards him and stepped up his mental assault. He deflected two, but the third caught him in the thigh as it spun.

Kylo cried out.

"Use the pain, Ren, together with your rage. Feel your connection with the Force strengthen."

As Snoke advanced on him, he began plucking out random memories and thrusting them to the front of Kylo's beleaguered brain. At first, it was just a mild irritation, and they continued to fight, blood trickling slowly from the deep cut in his leg muscle. Then, Snoke fought his way deeper into the more private memories: _Han's fingers, caressing his face. His mother, Leia, staring at him in horror._

"Hah! You think to best me that easily?" Ren scoffed, pirouetting and swinging his heavy lightsaber with all his might. "I've made my peace with the Light side. I take full responsibility for my actions!"

"Oh, I believe you entirely."

Snoke dodged out of the way, smirking maliciously.

 _Oh no._

Suddenly, a barrage of memories floated into his mind. _The girl; staring helplessly at him as he froze her movements. The girl; unconscious in his arms, the warm weight of her strangely reassuring. The girl; indignation and pride in her eyes as she attacked him._

At each image, an unbearable pain knifed behind his eyes, like the migraines he sometimes got after using the Force too much, only all at once. He could dimly hear his master shouting at him.

"Redirect it! The feeling is temporary, but the association will last a lifetime. Your rage will be entirely directed at the Light, and they will tremble at your terrible wrath."

Kylo Ren staggered to his feet, mind ablaze with conflicting thoughts, pain and fear. Obedience to his master and an overwhelming desire to please him, to do the right thing. And through it all, a seething, boiling hatred - for everyone and everything. The Light, the girl, even Snoke.

 _Especially Snoke. He thinks to manipulate me._

Ren stared at his ancient and crooked old master with undisguised loathing and frustration. The red mist rose up in him, and he could barely control it. His intention was to aggressively Force push Snoke across the room, or perhaps smash a few inanimate objects into his skull. He threw out a gloved hand towards his master to provide the necessary conduit for the Force. And bluish lightning shot from his fingers instead, electrocuting an astonished Snoke.

Shocked, Kylo Ren dropped his arm. The surge of the Force he had channelled had used up all his energy reserves, and he sat down heavily onto the stone floor of the training room.

Snoke did much the same, but while gently smoking.

"My pupil… You have done well. Extremely well. Even in the days of the Sith, there were few that could do what you just did. That is enough for today, I think."

Ren continued to sit, exhausted, on the floor, while Snoke limped towards the exit.

Something twinged in his mind, but he shook his head, grunting, believing it to be a remnant of the battle.

Snoke stopped just as he was about to leave the room. "I feel it too. He is here."

A huge boom rattled around the room.

The walls shook, and several light fittings fell to the ground. And then another boom hit. As dust fell around him, Kylo sensed that this one was closer.

Several storm troopers burst through the door, its frame slightly crooked now.

"Supreme Leader! The base is under attack by Resistance fighters!" one of them said, his voice muffled by his helmet.

Snoke growled, "You! Find General Hux, and tell him to get this situation under control. And the rest of you will accompany us. My apprentice and I have another matter to attend to."

"Yes sir!" came the replies.

"Ren!"

Dragging his aching limbs, Kylo followed his master and the soldiers out of the training quarters. As they marched closer to the surface of the planet, he searched for the disturbance in his head again, and found it more quickly this time. It felt familiar, somehow. He was trying to place the energy signature when the storm troopers rounded a corner, and something exploded in a flash of green light, throwing them all into the air and against the walls.

As the smoke cleared, two figures stepped out into the rubble. Two blue lightsabers ignited in unison.

Kylo felt incredulous anger clawing at the back of his throat. "Skywalker!"

"Ben." Replied the older man coolly.

He heard Snoke's lightsaber flare into life, and activated his own.

The other figure spoke. "Nice scar."

 _It was HER!_

Red clouded his vision, and with incandescent fury, Kylo Ren attacked.


	7. Brief Encounters

_Apologies for the long gap between postings, I've been crazy busy travelling around the UK visiting various people, doing various things, same old, same old. Anyway, here is the newest action filled chapter! I love reading your reviews, and if there's any constructive advice you can give me it would be much appreciated - I'm new to writing about the Star Wars universe and I hope I'm not massacring it too badly._

 **Chapter 7 - Brief Encounters**

Rey felt a tendril of fear slither icily down her spine as Kylo Ren charged at her. He bellowed wordlessly, rage contorting his features and lightsaber gunning directly for her. She gripped the hilt of her own rigidly, stance wide and centre of gravity low as she'd been taught by Luke. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly, centring her energy.

Then, he was upon her; a flailing dervish of black limbs, heavy strikes raining down hard and fast. As she'd discovered in their last duel, his fighting style was conservative, but brutal - much like his severe black clothing. He wasn't wearing a mask this time, and Rey's stomach lurched as she beheld again the bare face, now horribly scarred by her own hand, that had held Han Solo's gaze while murdering him in cold blood.

He sneered at her as Rey struggled to fend off his punishing blows, blocking red with blue again and again until her arms shook with fatigue. When she felt could almost take no more, he kicked out at her knee unexpectedly, knocking her to the ground. A dirty trick, but effective.

"You won't best me this time!" Ren snarled, advancing while looping his humming blade in a deadly figure of eight. From where she was sprawled on the floor, she noticed that there was a deep gash in his thigh, oozing dark blood.

 _Did I do that?_

With a move that Master Luke had taught her only days ago, Rey used a concentrated blast of the Force to slam Kylo's saber downwards into the rocky ground. While he yanked his blade out of the soil in annoyance, she managed to gain the high ground, her nimble feet skipping over the rubble like she used to do back in the wastelands of Jakku. Weeks of training with Skywalker had honed her fighting technique, but her past as a scavenger and natural aptitude for combat gave her a unique and flexible style. She was learning quickly, but Kylo Ren had the benefit of years of intensive teaching. Kylo Ren seemed tangibly stronger than the last time they had fought, but Rey was faster.

Now that she had the advantage, deflecting his attacks became slightly easier, and Rey took a moment to assess the situation. She and Luke were buying time for the group of Resistance recons who even now would be sneaking into the secret archives on the base. The Resistance hadn't even known Snoke or his apprentice were here until they'd landed on the barren little world - they had obviously been lying low by cloaking their Force presence. They didn't necessarily have to defeat the two darksiders, simply hold their own, and then find a way out of there. Anything else was a bonus.

A short distance away, Luke was duelling with the ancient, twisted-looking man who she assumed was Snoke. She briefly touched on their shared mental link, and found her master locked in a fierce battle of wills with another terrifying mind.

 _"Stay out of this Rey! Focus on your own battle!"_

Luke sounded strained but capable. Inwardly berating herself for not attacking from the beginning, she hurriedly switched her attention to her own opponent's thoughts.

Straight away, she was assaulted with a wall of pain and hostility, focused directly on her like a tractor beam constructed of pure loathing. He wasn't even trying to shield his mind from her - not that she could pick out any isolated thoughts from the aggressive fog of white noise resonating across their mental link. His blistering emotions spilled haphazardly out of their confines, eagerly seeking a new mind to taint.

 _So this anger is why he is so strong_.

Kylo Ren kept attacking; sword strikes as powerful as ever, with no sign that he had detected her mental invasion. Rey began to see that there were other things slightly off about him.

He kept baring his teeth, as if something was hurting him, and in the twin wells of his dark, furious eyes, there was something curiously unhinged. He fought like a mad kath-hound, narrow frame edgy and highly strung.

 _Surely this isn't just the bloodlust of battle?_

She parried again, twisting as lithely as a razorcat, jabbing at his side as she went. Testing him, needling him with her claw, trying to feel out his weak spots. The blue blade met with little resistance, and she saw she'd carved a neat little scorch along her enemy's hip. Kylo barely flinched, keeping up his ceaseless attack, expression manic. She was being forced back against the walls of the corridor with nowhere left to run.

"It's no use, scavenger! Anything you do to me I will simply redirect towards you" he growled, making a strange gesture with his hand.

Violet sparks crackled around his gloved fingertips, and a flare of pure Force energy fizzled wildly. Rey dived to the ground in alarm, but for all his talk, the lightning suddenly dissipated into nothing.

 _What the kriff was that?_

Kylo span off to the left, pounding himself in the side in evident frustration. Apparently he was beginning to tire; whatever dark powers were fuelling him were clearly beginning to ebb away. Rey felt a fierce surge of joy at the thought of defeating the man who had been haunting her nightmares since that terrible day on Starkiller Base.

To her right, she glimpsed Luke, still locked in combat with Snoke. From what she could tell, they seemed evenly matched; each fighting masterfully to gain the upper hand, but neither succeeding. Snoke was old and knew every trick in the book, while Luke was courageous and disciplined.

Rey knew it was up to her - the Resistance fleet was small, and would soon have to abandon its attack on the well-defended base. And then their tiny window of opportunity would be gone, and storm troopers would start pouring in from all sides.

She just hoped that the other search party had managed to find the classified holodiscs they had come here for in time. If they had, Rey and Luke could make their escape. If they hadn't...

 _I have to make this count._

She met Ren's modified saber again with a sizzle, and used his own momentum against him to flick him away with the returning sweep of her blade. She was much more accomplished at fighting with her staff, but since lightsabers were so hard to come by in this day and age, she had been training with the old one Luke had given her. Perhaps one day she would get to craft her own.

 _If we even survive this battle._

She stared with a renewed dread at Kylo Ren, recalling again all the terrible things he'd done. The sheer amount of blood on his hands; the lives of the younglings, countless innocents who had only had the misfortune of getting in his way, even his own father. Rey's resolve strengthened. Became iron.

"This is for Han Solo!" she cried, running at him head on.

Ren cocked his head at her, curiously, but raised his scarlet blade anyway. This was a suicidal attack. Even if she used the Force to leap over him, he could simply cut her down out of the air.

"Don't be a fool, R-Rey!" He shook his head irritably, as if swatting away an annoying fly, "Join me, and we can end this impasse." But Kylo Ren's voice cracked, betraying his uncertainty.

Rey prayed to all the gods of Jakku, old and new, that this would work. Her eyes fixed on the steel escape rungs which were attached to the ceiling of the corridor, leading up to an access hatch. Which was right above Kylo. She hurled her lightsaber at her enemy to briefly distract him, and jumped, using the Force to kick up a cloud of dust and ashes behind her. She swung on the bars, not forward, but around, using all her upper body strength acquired from years climbing around inside ruined space craft and fighting off bandits.

Rey came crashing down against Ren from the side, her slight but fast moving weight pummelling into his shoulders. They both fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, his own sword flying from his hand. He scrabbled in the dirt for it.

"Get off me!"

Rey wrestled with the taller man's thrashing limbs, trying to pin him down. If she could just hold him for long enough, she was sure she would be able to knock him out. Kylo's bony elbow shot backwards up into her ribs, and she saw stars, winded. He effortlessly flipped her over, like a bird killing a soft-bellied Vonduun crab.

"I'm going to enjoy this." He growled, shoving his long face against hers. She spat at him. "Get on with it then. I don't want to see your treacherous face any more, Ben." His wild black eyes bore into her own hazel ones at the mention of his former name, and she tensed.

He began to curl his fists in the familiar Force choke hold, and immediately Rey felt an invisible vice start to tighten around her throat.

"Ben, please." She coughed. "You're being… manipulated. This is exactly…what Snoke wants."

"Of course it's what he wants. Once you are dead, I will be free to continue my training. I will be stronger. We will restore order to the galaxy!" He hissed, making a move to strike her, but, hesitating, stopped inches from her face. The closer Kylo Ren was to her, the more uncomfortable he seemed to become. His eyes were shadowy with pain, and his scar throbbed livid on his pale face.

 _I can use this._

She swallowed her revulsion. Rey grabbed his face with her bare hands, pulling his head towards her own, and kissed him lightly on the mouth. His lips were hot to the touch. Ren recoiled, crying out in agony, and released her from the chokehold. He rolled onto the ground, clutching his temples.

"It wasn't that bad was it?" she quipped, snatching up Kylo's fallen saber and advancing on his prone form, with dual blue and red blades. Ren's crudely built saber vibrated in her hand, exhaust ports flaring, almost as if it couldn't bear her touch either. She pinned him down with one foot on his back.

"Snoke!" He screamed, writhing. "You said this would help me!"

Rey felt Luke's Force mind gently connect with her own.

" _What did you do, padawan_?"

" _Nothing_!"

She heard Snoke rumble in anger, and turned to see Luke, taking advantage of Snoke's distraction, slice his blue blade impossibly fast through the air. With a high pitched humming sound, a glowing slash appeared across one of Snoke's gnarled legs. As the tall man turned, the leg stayed gruesomely where it was. The Supreme Leader fell backwards against a pillar, snarling, calling reluctantly into his communicator for reinforcements.

"Time to go, Rey!" Luke called, sprinting towards her.

"What about Ky-Ben?"

"We're taking him!"

Luke knelt down, and in an almost fatherly way, laid a hand on Kylo's dark hair. Immediately, the young man stopped struggling and went limp.

Luke hefted him over one shoulder, and winked at Rey. "Strong for an old man, huh?"

Rey rolled her eyes.

"Please, he's as skinny as a Kaminoan!"

Together, they ran back out through the tunnels, leaving the carnage behind them. She felt Snoke trying to worm his way into her mind, but she brushed him off as she ran; his toxic influence lessening the closer they got to the daylight.

Luke skidded to a stop as a TIE fighter crashed to the ground in front of them, its black wings exploding in a localised fireball. Nearby, Rey saw a small squadron of pilots go flying, knocked back by the blast. They'd been heading to another TIE fighter across the landing strip, still planet-bound, still miraculously intact.

She glanced at Luke, who grinned.

"How's your flying?"


	8. Captured

_Hey, thanks for sticking with it. I joined a band, got kicked out, had a small chemical accident, went to see Deadpool 3 times. Really, i have no excuse. Special thanks to LadyStrdust for reminding me of the joy of writing these characters. Now I must finish what my grandfather started._

 **Chapter 8 - Captured**

Waking up was hard. Kylo Ren's whole body felt heavy, like his limbs were made of lead. He opened his heavy eyelids, blinking in the harsh strip lights. The room he was in was small and nondescript, with no windows and a single reinforced plastiglass door. The door seemed largely unnecessary, as thick durasteel restraints wrapped around his arms, legs and torso, clamping him rigidly to an upright gurney. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed uncomfortably, a metal band around his neck tight and cold as a vice.

A raging headache assaulted him with the return of the brightness. He tried to sort through his disjointed memories to work out what had happened, how long he had been here - hours? Days? - and how he had come to be a wretched prisoner of the Resistance traitors. The order was all wrong, muddled with the haze of battle and bloodlust, and mired in confusion. But more worrying still were the blank periods where there were no memories at all - there were half recollections of certain people and places which were as holey as a Byss cheese.

A shadow fell across the metal wall of the cell as someone outside blocked the light from the corridor.

"Don't worry. Nobody knows you're down here."

Ren squinted, a disdainful smirk squirming down his features, a biting reply already forming on his tongue.

The figure stepped closer and resolved itself into a man who was much more grizzled than Ren remembered; face a little more tired, beard little more salt and pepper dusted, but still emanating that quiet power. His sunken yet hopeful blue eyes darted around his face, conflicting emotions clearly warring beneath the surface, but drinking in the sight of his nephew nonetheless.

"Good. That means I will only have to kill you" Ren rasped, voice gravelly from disuse. The expected insolence hung flat in the air between them, betraying the weak position he was in.

Luke sighed. "Ben, please. I'm trying to help."

"My name is Kylo Ren!" he growled.

"If it makes you happy, I will use the name given to you by those morally bereft 'Knights'. Regardless, my point still stands."

Ren scoffed. "Why would I want help from you, Skywalker? A witless old has-been who couldn't help anyone when it really mattered."

The barbed comment stung right where he had intended, and the wounded look on Luke's face was reward enough.

The older man turned away, controlling his features. There is no emotion - there is peace. He walked away a little, arms folded behind his back in a relaxed manner which belied the fact that he was interrogating a corrupted family member in a locked cell.

"Ren, you know I always tried my best. I admit I was partly to blame for your… desertion, and I accept that you must still harbour strong feelings towards me. Particularly since you have become influenced by Snoke, who I imagine has only worsened those deep-seated grievances."

"You're damn right about that." Ren subtly tested his bonds again, but the slight movement was still enough to send fiery twinges down his sides. He was too weakened from recent injuries to open the thick shackles by Force, and he couldn't sense anyone in the vicinity whom he might be able to influence - except his old master. He began lightly skimming Luke's thoughts, just to see if he could find any information on where he was being held.

Skywalker held up his hands. "Stop."

Kylo found himself forcibly ejected immediately. It was almost embarrassing, like getting caught snooping in a teacher's desk.

"You don't have many options right now. The First Order is in disarray, regrouping, but directionless. We have cut off the head of your poisonous serpent - Snoke is nowhere to be found. We've tried interrogating the others we captured from the base, but it seems they have no knowledge of where he might have gone. It would work in your favour to give us the information we need. "

Despite his deep reluctance to engage with his enemy, Ren blurted out "Others?"

Luke smiled grimly. "Yes. Several of your officers, and a certain General who is most unhappy to be here."

A sinking feeling dropped into Kylo's gut. For the first time, he began to feel worry creeping in.

"Why tell me this?"

"So that you realise that no one is coming to rescue you. This is serious - if I turn you in now, you will become a political prisoner. The Senate doesn't care who you're related to - you are wanted for a thousand and one crimes against the galaxy. Best case scenario - you spend the rest of your life mouldering away in a secure cell of some prison moon. And I'm sure you can imagine the worst case."

"Don't you think I know that?"

Ren's headache throbbed against his skull. He swallowed, suddenly dry mouthed and dizzy.

Skywalker's hard expression softened ever so slightly.

"Here."

Luke reached over to a small table and grabbed a foil-sealed juice pouch. Piercing it with a thin straw, he held it to Kylo's lips, looking for all the world like the doting uncle he used to be.

Reluctantly, he drank. The sweet juice soothed his burning throat and steadied his racing thoughts a little.

Suddenly, he had a treacherous thought. What if this was poisoned? What if all along Luke had been trying to trick him into submitting to some truth serum? It was just the kind of mental manipulation used by Jedi practitioners.

Paranoia gripped him, and he spat out the straw, coughing.

"Oh - for Force's sake." Luke swore, shaking juice drops from his long robes. "I'm not trying to kill you."

Ren remained thirsty and unconvinced.

"How long have I been down here?"

His uncle's weathered brow creased.

"Two days. I thought I'd let you stew in here a little, but you've been asleep since we brought you in. Tell me, Ren, were you injured in the fight? I can heal you, or at least fetch a medical droid."

"I'm fine. I would be even better if you would leave me alone." He replied maliciously, despising how obviously weak he looked.

Luke sighed yet again, evidently at something of a loss.

"Perhaps you would be more receptive to Rey. I believe she is very interested in talking to you."

At the mention of Rey, Kylo stiffened.

"No!" he cried as a sudden flush of adrenaline flooded his brain. "I mean, that is highly unnecessary. I will not betray my master, to you or - anyone."

Violent images flickered behind his eyes. No, stop thinking about it. Control yourself.

"Did you know that she is my new apprentice? Her aptitude for the Force is incredible. I haven't taught anyone with this much potential since you arrived at the Academy."

Kylo strained at his bonds. Listening to his former master talk about Rey was pure torture, both figuratively and literally. Bitterness and jealousy had poisoned his thoughts for years, seeded by the lack of attention paid to him by constantly squabbling parents, nurtured by the smug bullies of the Jedi Academy, and finally blossoming under Snokes vengeful guidance. His slow drift towards the dark was gradual, inevitable, and strangely comforting; like slipping into a warm bath.

But this wasn't that familiar ache of resentment and old grudges, which Ren could sink back into and use to his advantage. Every mention of the girl sent shooting needles down his nervous system like hateful fireworks. Snoke's claws had been resting lightly on his shoulders for many years, but now they were thoroughly hooked into his flesh. If only the damn Resistance had delayed their attack long enough for Snoke to finish with his training and release his agonising mental chokehold.

"Ren?"

He realised Luke had been saying something. He shook his head wearily, fighting to keep his mind his own.

"Master Luke?" A new voice, from outside the cell. A hated voice.

 _No. No. No. Don't come in._

"Ah, Rey. I was wondering where you had got to. He's finally awake."

She entered the room, wearing casual combat style clothing, her dirty blonde hair bundled in that distinctive Jakku style. The Light practically shone from her, electrifying the room with its strength. It suited her.

But fire brindled within his chest at the sight, and soon grew tall and rabid, like oxygen fueling an inferno. Ren sprang towards her, hands grasping for her pale throat - but, was stopped, mid leap, a metallic cage there again at his chest.

She jumped back, startled, and Luke placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder. She stared at Kylo, and then looked to Skywalker for reassurance.

His attuned senses just caught her whisper, "Master, what's wrong with him?"

Luke did not acknowledge her query, but addressed him instead. "In case you haven't noticed Ren, you aren't going anywhere. Your rage is impotent here - calm yourself."

All his being was focused on her, and all his being was focused on trying to avoid her unsettling gaze.

Inside his brain, his master's wishes sat fat and malicious as a tick, pumping out a continuous stream of toxins. Kylo couldn't fight them. Hands balled into fists unwantedly, clenching and unclenching.

She stepped forward a pace. He cringed from her proximity. "Um, Ren? Listen, I wanted to say, no hard feelings. I know I beat you pretty soundly back there, and you did murdere the closest thing I had to a father, but let's call it even. We need you to help us."

Snoke's gravelly voice roared murder in Kylo's head. After weeks of small whispered exposures, he'd thought himself immune. In the presence of Rey herself, it turned out he was not.

"No...:" he whispered, struggling in vain to turn his head away. In the absence of his lightsaber or objects to smash, he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Anything, anything to not have to look at the object of his vexation.

Suddenly, the coolness of a palm against his feverish forehead. Something tugged gently at the edge of his consciousness, and in his weakness, he let it in by mistake.

A pure calmness washed through his confused mind like rain in the desert. The scorching uncontrollable rage coursing through him seemed to dull in its sharpness.

 _Ren, please let me help. Something's eating you alive._

It's Luke.

He means to destroy your mind from within! Turn you into a witless wreck! Fight him! Destroy him!

Snoke's words, not his. Or were they? He wanted to kick him out, but was intrigued.

 _On my honour, I will not touch anything you don't want me to see._

It's been years since someone has been in his mind like this - friendly, not attacking, not manipulating, asking for an invitation. Ren vaguely recalled that among the Jedi it is generally considered necessary and polite to ask before entering the mind of another Force sensitive.

 _Show me._

Ren panicked, forcing away memories of his murderous time with the First Order to the side. Luke does not need to see these. Back, the slaughter of his irritating peers, sickening at first, then just horrifying, and finally numbing. Back, traveling with Hux and his Knights to innocent new worlds, enslaving, torturing, converting. Joy, and a taste of freedom, dizzying, terrifying, blood-soaked glory. He smoothed these passions to the side.

There, in Snoke's chambers. Screaming in the dirt. Even the mere memory of it hurt to recall. He shoved this towards Luke's connection, along with fuzzy, pain blurred images of Rey, trying not to touch them too much.

He felt astonishment across their link, followed by fury. Ren had rarely seen Luke get angry, it being a trait much frowned upon in the Light Side, and he was somewhat surprised and amused at this reaction.

 _Careful "Master". Anger leads to hate, and is one step along the path to the Dark Side._

Annoyance radiated from the old Jedi.

 _Ren, do not try my patience. This is a very serious matter._

 _Why do you care?_

 _I would care about you if you were my greatest enemy. Nobody deserves this. Nobody._

Kylo felt Luke gently probing around the edges of the manipulated memories, obviously trying not to cause further damage.

 _Do whatever you must. I do not fear pain._

 _Good. Because this is probably going to hurt._


End file.
